Archive for June 2010

It seems that there is a technology overload lately. Just when you are starting to get a handle on the iPad and all it features then iOS 4 is released. Isn't it a pain that you have to mentally translate back and forth between iOS 4 and the outdated 3.2 on the iPad?

The update of apps seems to be slower for 4 than prior major iPhone upgrades. The first big batch of upgrades tricked through over the last few days. I am still waiting for some apps to have their iPad compatible version. I wonder if the transition from iPhone to iPads apps is more difficult or just time consuming. Maybe the developers are just spending the time to make the most of out of the capabilities of the iPad.

Google loses a long-term mid-market customer due to their inability to have accountability over their Message security email filtering service (formally Postini.) Postini was a great company and provided wonderful service. As discussed in an earlier post, Google does not know how to work with companies in the mid-market. Customer Care, renewals and sales are completely different silos that do not communicate about a customers issues or concerns. The only thing that they have to offer is to continually lower their price. They need to understand that unlike their culture where there is no accountability for performance and customer service, IT leaders in the mid-market are held accountable.

Spent some time with Sprint’s EVO phone. It is huge and feels strange in your hand. The screen is huge and has cool animations after the load of the main screen. The battery life is abysmal good thing it has a removable battery. My guess is that in normal use you will need swap a couple times during work hours. The Android operating system is awkward and the movement on the screen lacks the fluid feel of the iPhone. Using he Android market was easy and straightforward. The camera on the phone was very good and Google Goggles worked very well. I wanted to like this phone but the size and feel combined with the non-intuitive and awkward operating system ended my interest.

Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple's FaceTime video calling feature coming on iPhone 4 will not tap into customers' allotments of cellular minutes. Although the feature operates only over Wi-Fi for the time being, a FaceTime session can be initiated from within a phone call, leaving some observers wondering whether the phone connection would be maintained in the background as a fallback in case the video call fails, but eating up cellular minutes while doing so.

"The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects," Apple tells us. "The FaceTime call is over Wi-Fi so does not use carrier minutes."

Once the feature does go live on cellular networks, today's report points out that Apple and service providers will have to determine whether FaceTime sessions are billed as minutes, data, or both, or even a completely new category of consumption."The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects," Apple tells us. "The FaceTime call is over Wi-Fi so does not use carrier minutes."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during his introduction of iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the company will be working with carriers to allow FaceTime over cellular networks but that it will remain Wi-Fi-only at least through the end of the year.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during his introduction of iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the company will be working with carriers to allow FaceTime over cellular networks but that it will remain Wi-Fi-only at least through the end of the year.

Once the feature does go live on cellular networks, today's report points out that Apple and service providers will have to determine whether FaceTime sessions are billed as minutes, data, or both, or even a completely new category of consumption.Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple's FaceTime video calling feature coming on iPhone 4 will not tap into customers' allotments of cellular minutes. Although the feature operates only over Wi-Fi for the time being, a FaceTime session can be initiated from within a phone call, leaving some observers wondering whether the phone connection would be maintained in the background as a fallback in case the video call fails, but eating up cellular minutes while doing so.

"The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects," Apple tells us. "The FaceTime call is over Wi-Fi so does not use carrier minutes."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during his introduction of iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the company will be working with carriers to allow FaceTime over cellular networks but that it will remain Wi-Fi-only at least through the end of the year.

Once the feature does go live on cellular networks, today's report points out that Apple and service providers will have to determine whether FaceTime sessions are billed as minutes, data, or both, or even a completely new category of consumption.Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple's FaceTime video calling feature coming on iPhone 4 will not tap into customers' allotments of cellular minutes. Although the feature operates only over Wi-Fi for the time being, a FaceTime session can be initiated from within a phone call, leaving some observers wondering whether the phone connection would be maintained in the background as a fallback in case the video call fails, but eating up cellular minutes while doing so.

"The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects," Apple tells us. "The FaceTime call is over Wi-Fi so does not use carrier minutes."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during his introduction of iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the company will be working with carriers to allow FaceTime over cellular networks but that it will remain Wi-Fi-only at least through the end of the year.

Once the feature does go live on cellular networks, today's report points out that Apple and service providers will have to determine whether FaceTime sessions are billed as minutes, data, or both, or even a completely new category of consumption.Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple's FaceTime video calling feature coming on iPhone 4 will not tap into customers' allotments of cellular minutes. Although the feature operates only over Wi-Fi for the time being, a FaceTime session can be initiated from within a phone call, leaving some observers wondering whether the phone connection would be maintained in the background as a fallback in case the video call fails, but eating up cellular minutes while doing so.

"The voice call ends as soon as the FaceTime call connects," Apple tells us. "The FaceTime call is over Wi-Fi so does not use carrier minutes."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted during his introduction of iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that the company will be working with carriers to allow FaceTime over cellular networks but that it will remain Wi-Fi-only at least through the end of the year.

Once the feature does go live on cellular networks, today's report points out that Apple and service providers will have to determine whether FaceTime sessions are billed as minutes, data, or both, or even a completely new category of consumption.

Apple's iPad has been a huge hit with consumers. Early testing and common sense indicate that it should work very well in the enterprise. The biggest problem facing the device isn’t the device or its functionality, it is the lack of a plan to manage the 3G service and ownership and deployment of apps from a bulk standpoint. This makes business adoption a very manually intensive and non-centralized exercise. Which is okay for a few test users but expanding out to even a dozen would prove very difficult.

You can use the iPhone configuration utility to setup environmental settings like corporate email, wifi, restrictions and VPN connections. The problem begins when you start to want to purchase apps and the 3G service.

Currently, there is no way to add the pay as you go service to a corporate AT&T plan. So each users 3G account has to be placed on a month-to-month plan that is tied to a credit card. There is no way currently to add the charges to an existing AT&T account.

On the apps front, I haven’t found a way to install apps without setting up an individual account for each user again secured with a credit card. Controlling app updates and purchasing falls into the hands of the individual user not the company. While users need to have the flexibility to add apps there needs to be a way to monitor and standardize apps across multiple users.

The iPad is a device that holds promise for business users. It is clear that non-business users were the first targets. Apple and AT&T explain the device is still brand new and integration with corporate wireless accounts and app management is in the works. For folks who want an iPad at work that is not fast enough.

Apple’s introduction of iOs 4 is very intriguing. The dropping of the iPhone moniker seems to indicate that Apple has recognized the importance of the operating system. This change like the change from Apple Computer to just Apple points to a shift in the direction of the company. Developers and consumers will benefit from the unified platform that has 100 million devices. This platform standardizes development. The iTunes store being standard means for distribution and revenue for developers. Long overdue multi-tasking in the the new OS is effective and easy to use. The addition of iAds offers new opportunities for both advertisers and developers. The timing for the iPad inclusion in the iOS 4 is critical. The incredible iPad will seem less magical in comparison to the OS on the iPhone. The two will need to be brought into sync quickly. Could this indicate other devices in the planning that utilize iOS? Does the hobby of Apple TV fit in this platform? The next few months will be very interesting.

Google has no concept of business relationships or the value of an existing customer. Heard from a friend who had been a long time Postini customer. Since the purchase by Google, the service has gone done hill fast both from a quality and Customer Servicestandpoint. After calling and emailing multiple times, with no response from Customer Service, my friend emailed his account manager to explain how the quality of the product and support was at unacceptable he might have to consider moving his service. Twenty hours later he got an email saying that Customer Servicewas involved and that there was a link on the console page that displayed system health. After multiple calls he finally spoke with the account manager’s manager, who explained that the all policies and procedures concerning his email was followed properly. The Google person explained that mail filtering was not as critical service like Google Apps and that they just didn’t see the investment in time individually manage his account. My friend asked if they couldn’t take care of mail filter why would he ever trust them with his company’s e-mail. Extremely disappointing.

Otterbox is getting closer to the long awaited release of their defender iPad case. They are about 1 week away from pre-release. Hopefully it is as solid as the the iPhone cases. From the folks we heard from we have every reason to believe it will be worth the wait.

Dodocase is taking a page from classic bookmaking to create a very nice looking and practical case/binder for the iPad. The look of the case comes straight from a Moleskine binder down to the elastic strap to keep the case close. The case evokes that same comfortable feel in as the Moleskine notebooks that work so well.The interior is a bamboo shell with foam inserts in the corners to keep your iPad safe. The case is handmade and reasonably priced at $49.95. Current lead-times are between 4-6 weeks. They have posted several very nice videos on their website about how the cases are made and features. Great stuff! – AS